hemleb



Feb. 19 1924.

M. HEMI-.EB

VELECTRIC! SEWING MACHINE Filed may? e. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 .rulli ,NVENTOR Figi ATTORNEY Feb. 19 1924.

M. HEMLEB ELECTRIC sEwINC MACHINE Filed May 9. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n. In

INVENTOR WVU. ESSESZ ATTORNEY Feb. 19 1924.v

M. HEMLEB ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINE Filed May 9. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 i INVENToR ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

llllll liuu Feb. 19 1924. 1,484,217

M. HEMLEB ELECTRIC swne mcuma' Filed May e. 1921 4 sums-sheet 4 INVENTOR wlTNEssEs: hf m www. BY M 1 ln-roman4 Patented F eb.l9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

MARTIN' HEMLEB, OF ELIZAEETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SEW IN G MACHINE.

pplication led May 9,

T o all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MARTIN HEMLEB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. i

This invention relates to sewing machines and has for an object to provide a self contained electrically driven, electrically Acontrolled and electrically lighted sewinghead including the essential accessories and adapted for reception, as a unit, within the sewing-head receiving aperture of the usual support, such as a drophead cabinet or the hollow base member of the usual handcarrying case; it beingdesired to conceal the electrical connections and avoid the installation in the support or cabinet of the electrical accessories and distributing cir cuits and connections between the main or supply circuit andthe motor, motor-controller and lighting device, as such accesseries, circuits and connections are comparatively troublesome and expensive to install in the supporting base or cabinet.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified form of knee-shift control for the driving motor whereby, preferably, the operative train of connections from the knee-shift to the mo tor-controller Will be established by the merc act of placing the sewing head unit in op erative position upon its support either w drop-head cabinet or portable base and Without special attention on the part of the operator.

A Jfurther object of the invention is to provide a kneeshift mechanism particularl \Y adapted for use in connection with a sewing head having a built-in motor-controller and adapted for reception by the usual portabl base or drop-head cabinet.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a safety device, whereby the knee-shift can be operated to start the mo tor only when the sewing head is in sewingr position on its support.

lll/ ith the foregoing and other objects in view. as will hereinafter appear. the seu ing-head in which the stitch-forming and feeding mechanisms are incorporated, has mounted thereon a driving motor together 1921. Serial No. 467,835.

with its accessories and associated devices, such as the motor-controller, wiring and terminals facilitating interconnection of the circuits and their connection with the source of electrical energy. If the machine is equipped with an electric light it, also, is mounted on the sewing-head and the lighting circuit is connected in multiple with the motor orV powercircuit to the main terminals on the sewing-head, so that the light will give constant illumination regardless of variations inthe speed of the driving-motor.

The electrical connections or power and lighting circuits are preferably extended within the hollow bed and bracket-arm of lhe sewing machine frame. The motorcontroller is preferably contained Within a housing below the sewing machine clothplate and is adapted to be operated by means of a train of connections with a knee-shift mounted on the sewing-head support. This train of connections includes a pair of coacting elements, oneo which is carried by the sewinghead and the other of which is carried by the support for the-sewing-head; said elements being cooperativelyrelated or in register only when the sewing-head occupies sewing position on its support. I the sewing-head is stationed upon a support of the drop-head cabinet type7 the coacting elements will register only when the head is inelevated position and will be thrown out of register when the head is dropped into the cavity of the cabinet, thereby interrupting the train of connections between the knee-shift and the motorcontroller and rendering the former ineffective to start the motor.

The kneeshift mechanism preferably comprises a roclr-shaft mounted on the support for the sewing-head and carrying a depending knee-shift arm and an upstanding -tappet-arrn adapted to press against one end of a push-rod mounted in the frame of the sewing-head and connected to the swinging contact arm of the motor-controller.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front side elevation of a portable sewing machine outfit embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, the sewing-head cloth-plate having been removed to show the working parts therebelow. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the sewing-head sup- 20 'o'fllicbase-.rncmber of the .mechanism including port or basemember only of the carrying case,;1n a plane indicated by the line H,

Fig. 2. lig. 5 is a transverse section through the machine bed. Fig. 6 is a trans- :verse sectional View of a drop-head cabinet outfit embodying the invention, and includingr the sewing-head illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 5. Fig. 'i' is a fragmentary front elevation, partly in section, or" the outfit I9 shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 isv a, fragment-ary bottom plan View of the so-calied lifting plate shown in'Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a transverse fraglrientary vertical 4section on the liuc 9*,9, 3. Fig. 10 is aperspectire View ofthe .distributing bloc-lr carried by the sewing-head as shown in Figs. 1, 2, lSand 7. I Figs.'V 11 andlflare innerface View;` of the' base- ,and cover-members of the block and lTnnvlB is'a View of therearward 'face block.

vIn'thepreferred embodiment of the nverition chosen ,for the purpose of the present disclosureand Yillustrated Yin 3theaccompanying drawings, A represents fthe 'corn- .25 `pletey sewing-head including the machine frame 'constructed prefe'rablyfiu substantial accordance 'Withthe ,CliS'lOShre of thepat- .erit toDosch et al., No. 1,304,750, vof May 27,1919, and formed with a hollow troughrises' e ,bracket-arm 3 'at the free epd'ofiwhicfh are journaledthe usual needle. and 'press'r-'bars` carrying repen top of `the ,hol-

ing-head Within the trou'gh-sliaped.bed 1 and actuated by the' sliaft'lisgthe feeding the four-,motion feeddog V which voperates through the Iusual slotted throat-plate `8. T liedriving connections forfthe stitch-.forming and feeding mechanisms arel preferably constructed substantially in accordance witl1`.tl1e Adisclosure of said Dosh et al.. patent-A and need not bev more specifically :referred rto.`

"'-The searing" had "includes driving motor 9 irliich' is preferablyof lthe built-in, iniitrily: removable construction `disclosed in the patentfto"Dosclifetfal., No. 1,311,114, of Jul'yj'22,'1 919; 'the motor shaft 10 eX- ten'din'g 'transversely ofv the' main-shaft 11 of thersewing-hea'd' and being connected to Themain-shaft 11 is'qonnectedvto the' lo wer shaft Ic byi means vf'gsuitzble beielgear connections Witlth'e =in let'in ediate shaft `theV latter *,bif. means of. thespiral Afears 12.

7c-" -,Th 'e'motor lead` -jiyi1esarefpre ferably enclosed Within `the 4 protective coniering or scribed V and ont through the aperture 15 in the rear si d e` \ivall of the bed l-below the level of itli cloth-plate G.

The sewing-head A further comprises a motor-controller preferably in the form of a rheostat including thevrcsistor 16 carrying the usual contact points 17 and pivoted contact arrn 18 adapted to play over the points 17 to Vary-the resistance in the motor circuit; ithe controller being preferably built into the trough-shaped bed 1 by forining the latter with an open-topped compartment 19 which is separated from the .'uiain compartment 20 of the bed 1 b means of the Wall or partition 21, as disclosed in rn Patent No. 1,409,951, of .March 21, 1922.

nlilre the .disclosure of my said copending application, the present motor-controller is adapted to be operated by a linee-shift lever and, to this end, the bed l is preferably formed-with suitable bearings for .a horizontal push-rod V22, Figs l.2,and 3,`the inner end otwhichfextends into lthe cont-roller compartment 1 9 and is pivotally connected Aat 23 to one end of a1 linkbar 24'the-oth`er e'nd of which ispivoted'at25 toithejright angular extension 26 of the conta'ctarm '18 which is pivotally mounted at 27 Aon the resistor 16. The link 24. is formed with a laterally and' forwardly offset .extension orlip 2,8 4which .rests in' the guide-slot J29 ,in the, eredge of the Wall 21 g. the clothplatej 'ormingthe .upper wall of'such guide-slots, as shown in Fig. The lip 28 'and Igui, eslot;29,seryefgto.steady the ;linkt and.oy'erooiejanyftendencyof the i ,braclgeL'BO carrynig-the pin 31".'1i7l1ich sup-, 4

,spring 43 2 in :1 -position di- .'pQts coil ei ly above and ,p arallel to,the link-:24. Oneend of the spri'ngQ abats against the braclijetand the `other end against one end Wall 33 19, whereby the spring servest'o urge the contactvarm 18 to its .oi position shown Iin .Theouter end of the push-rod 22 Aprojects extcriorl;y ofV the bed 1,.at.the base of vthe standard 2, below the Ylevel of the cloth-plate 6 and is adapted to be actuated by atappet-arm connectedfwithafknee- -s lniftdeizice which will-be hereinafter .cle-

"The rheostat connections or lead-wires 3 4 pass out ofthe compartment@ through an apertiire in the wall 33 of the latter, 'Fig'.Q'S, fittedwith an insulating,bushingT 35 located at the base of the standard 2 beloiv'the level of the cloth-plate 6 and in relatiyely close` proximity Ato the 'aperture 15 thrbu'gli'iwivhich the motor-leads 13 emerge from` the frame, .'Stilffur'tlien the sewingr head unit A preferably includes a. lighting device Iwhich of the controller compartment.

may be constructed and built into the frame of the sewing-head in the manner disclosed in the application of F. Diehl, Serial No. 453,786, tiled March 19, 1921. The lighting device may thus comprise a lampbulb 36 and reflector 37 carried by the pull-socket 38 secured to one limb oan elbow 39, the other limb of which is fitted to an apertured seat 40 formed ou the bracket-arm 3. The lightingcircuit 4l extends from the socket 38 through the elbow 39 and apertured seat 40 into the interior of the bracket-arm 3, thence downwardly within the conduit 42 within the standard 2 and out through the aperture 15 alongside the power or motor wires 13.

The power and lighting circuits have thus been brought from various points within the hollow fr-.imc of the sewing-head A, to out.- lets located relatively close together at the base of the standard 2 below the cloth-plate 6, so'as to be invisible when the machine is in operative position on its support. In order to talre care of the proper connection of these circuits in a neat and efficient manner, as well as to provide for a supply of electric current, I preferably, provide the sewing-head with a Suitable distributing block which is preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive and comprises the baseA and cover-members43 and 44, respectively, having their meeting faces similarly grooved as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Mounted in the parallel, longitudinal grooves 45 in the base-member 43 of the block, by means of screws 46, are the terminais 47, 47 to the lower ends of which are pivotally secured by screws 48, the slitted terminal plugs 49 which may be swung about the screws 48 as pivots so as to project outwardly through either the end apertures 50 or the side apertures 51 in the cover-member 44. At the upper end of the basemember 43 is mounted the plate 52 provided with terminal screws 53, 53 by which a motor-wire and a. rheostat-wire, respectively are joined together. The remaining motor-wire is connected to one of the terminal plates 47 and the remaining rheostat wire is connected to the remaining terminal plate 47', whereby the motor and rheostat are connected in Series to the current supply terminals. The lighting wires are laid in suitable grooves in the meeting tacos ot the blocks 43, 44. aS shown in Fig. 11` and are connected to the terminals 47, 47 in multiple with the power circuit. The rearward face of the base memher 4f; of the blocl: is formed with X-shaped grooving in which the power and lighting wires are confined and protected as illus trated in Fig. 13. The baseand coverinein bers of the block are held together and are secured in a recess 54 intermediate the apertures 15 and 35 in the bed 1 of the sewinghead A by means of screws 55. The electric Arelatively thin sheet-metal and is not current may be supplied to the plug terminals 49 by means of the usual flexible twinconductor cord terminating in a socketed member 56 adapted to fit over the plug terminals 49.

The sewing head A, as described, is adapted to be removably stationed, as a unit, on an apertured support in the form of either the hollow-base member B of the usual hand carrying case, or a drop-head cabinet C. Vhen placed on the base B to form a portable outit, such base preferably has mounted within it a bracket 57 atl'ording bearings Jior a horizontal rock-shaft 58 disposed transversely of the base B and in line with an aperture 59 in the front wall 60 thereof. Secured to the inner end of the rock-shaft 58 is an upstanding tappet-arm 61, the upper end of which registers with and is adapted to strike the outer end of the push-rod 22 and force the latter inwardly against the pressure of the spring 32, to shift the controller-arm 18 over the contact points 17. A spring 62 surrounding the rock-shaft 58 and at its opposite ends anchored, respectively, to the tappet-arm 61 and bracket 57, serves to urge the tappet-arm 61 away from the push-rod 22.

The rockshaft 58 is provided at its front end with a transverse pin 63 which is received within the L-shaped slot 64 in the soclreted hub 65 at the upper end of the knee-shift lever-arm 65 which hangs downwardly over the'front edge of the table 66 to a position within reach of the operators knee; the present arrangement and mode of operation of the'lcnee-shift lever being similar in principle'to that disclosed in mycopending application Serial No. 380,728, led May 12,1920. When stationed on the portable base B, the bed 1 and cloth-plate 6 are received by the rectangular aperture 67, Fig. 3, and the cloth-plate 6 tits within said aperture, as shown in Fig 2. The sewing-head is supported by means of the laterally extending luos 68, 68", the former of which rest upon the ledges 69 and the latter of which receive the usual hinge pins 70. The corners of the cloth-plate 6 may also rest upon the corner ledges 71, Fig. 3, although in the present instance the cloth-plate is made'of intended to sustain the weight of the sewing-head; the supporting lugs 68, 68 being designed primarily for this purpose.

The sewing-head A is also adapted to be received Within the apertured top of the usual drop-head cabinet C; it being preferred to use a cabinet having the general features of construction disclosed in the U. S. patent to Kopf et al., No. 1,349,678, of August 17. 1920. The means incorporated in tbe cabinet for supporting the sewing-head A so that it may be swung or dropped into the cavity c below the cabinet top 72 are pref- HND erably constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure in the U. S. patent toDiehl et al., No. 541,474, of June 25, 1895; the rear side of the sewing machine bed being hinged to the cabinet top at 73 and the front side or lugs 68 resting upon the lip 74 of the hinged leaf 75.

When the machine is to be dropped within the cavity c, the head A and the leaf 75 are lirst lifted about their respective hinges to carryv the lip 74 out of range of the front edge of the cloth-plate or supporting lug members 68 of the sewing machine bed, whereupon the head A may be lowered into the cavity c. The cabinet is equipped with the usual lifting plate 76 hinged at 77 and having the lateral lugr 78 which extends under the end of an overhanging portion of the sewing machine bed. rl`he lifting plate 76 is urged to its horizontal or full line position, Fig. 6, by means of the usual spring 76a, the free end of which rests in a groove 76",.Fig. 8', of the lifting plate; the other end of such spring being coiled about and anchored to an arbor 76e, Fig. 7, carried by a bracket 76d mounted within the cavity c of the cabinet. The bottom of the cavity c is closed by the usual apron 79'hinged at 80 and, in practice, connected by a chain, not

shown, tothe lifting plate 76. When the y 'sewing-head A is in raised position, the apron 79 is raised to full line position, Fi 6. i

n accordance with the present improvement, the lifting plate is Vformed with bear- I ings 81, 81, Fig. 8, for a transverse springpressed push-rod 82 having an Venlarged head 83 let into the side of the lifting plate adjacentthe sewing-head. When the sewing-head is in raised or sewing position, the push-rods 82 fand 22 are'in.alignment, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Mounted on the inner face of the right-hand end-wall 84.01?v

the cabinet() are the brackets 85, 85 fitted with trunnions 86, 86 for the rock-,shaft 87 which is formed in its rearward end with an. upstanding tappet-arm 88 registering with the push-rod 82 when the sewing-head A is in elevated position. The shaft 87 may be manually controlled by any of the usual expedients. Preferably the front end of the rock-shaft 87 is formed with a downwardly extending lug 89 which is slotted to receive the upper end of the knee-controlled arm90. The arm 90 is secured within the slot in Vthe lug 89 by means of a pivot-screw 91 and may be swung about such screw from running or full-line position, Fig. 6, to nonrunning or dotted line position, wherein it is substantially concealed from view; the apron 79 being cut away to avoid interference with the arm 90. Screwed to the wall 84 is the plate 92 carrying the supporting pin ,93 for the spring 94 which urges the .linee-shift .armA 90 to off or full-line posij, tor operative position,

tion, Fig. 7. It will be observed that when the sewing-head A is dropped within the cavity 'the' rods 82 and 22 are carried out of range of the tappet-arm 88 and accidental pressure uponthe knee-shift lever will not cause the driving motor to start.

When the sewin -head A is to be used with a portable outt, the distributing block ,43, 44 is adjusted with its terminals 49 projecting horizontally as shown in Figs. 9 and l0, so as to be accessible to the current-supply sockcted member 56 which may be passed through an aperture 95, Fig. 9, in the rear wall ofithe base B. When the head A is to be used in a drop-head cabinet, the terminals 49 are set in a vertical position, as shown in dotted lines infF ig. 9; the cover 44 having first been removed. In this position theyare readily accessible to the current supply circuit 95"' which may comprise the usual twinconductor cord and the socketed connectors 95 which may be' readily slipped over the lug terminals 49 and may remain connectedP thereto whether the sewing-head occupies ,raised or lowered position. 'i The main or supply circuit 94 may, in accordance with the'customary practice be made up of one or more -disconnectible. sections or extensions, as desired. I

It will lb'eevjdent that the' sewing-head may be put away ,without disconnection of the supply cond-from the usual'wallreceptaclev orfsocket ;-the" described safety device l preventing startinggof'the-mtor shouldthe vknee-shift @be accidentally manipulated. 'lheny thefmachinefis to. used,. the operator Vrhas'n'othing to do but .raise thesewing-head turnen the light and begin work;`'itv.being unnecessary tomake any electrical connections or rearrange 'or .adjust anyqf the operativeparts of the electrical equipment. f Y

'While I have shown and described one or more preferred-embodiments of the invention, it is `to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe details of construction and 'arrangement of parts shown and described. Such 'details and arrangements may obviously be materially modified within the spirit ofthe invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set .forth the nature of the invention, what-I claim herein is- 1. A motordriv'en sewing-head adapted for reception .by a portable-base or drophead cabinet and comprising a frame, stitchforming and .feeding mechanisms 'incorporated in 'said.frame, a 'driving motor and arnotor-controller carried by said frame, and a shiftable controller operating element carried by' saidfframefsaid element being adapted to register with va coacting manually controlled element carried by the support by which thesewing-head is received.

2..A.`Inotor1driven sewing-,head adapted for reception by a portable base or drophead cabinet and comprising a frame and flat rectangular cloth-plate, stitch-forming and feeding mechanism incorporated in said frame, a driving motor and motor-controller carried by said frame and a shiftable controller operating element exposed exteriorly of the frame, below and within the area of the cloth-plate, said element being adapted to register with a coacting manually controlled element carried by the support by which the sewing-head is received.

3. The combination with stitch-forming mechanism, a driving motor, a motor-controller and a frame carrying said mechanism, motor and controller, of an apertured support for removably receiving said frame and supported parts as a unit, said support having a linee-shift incorporated therein and connections for operating said motorcontroller, said connections being rendered inoperative to start the driving motor when said frame is shifted out of normal operative position on its support.

4. The combination with an electrically driven sewing-head including, stitch-forming mechanism, a driving motor, motor-controller, and a frame carrying said mechanism, motor and controller, of an apertured sup ort for removably receiving said sewingead as a unit, said support having a knee-shift incorporated therein, and connections between said knee-shift and controller including a pair of coacting elements carried respectively by the sewing head and its support and adapted to register with one another only when the sewing-head occupies proper sewing position on its support.

5. The combination with an electrically driven sewing-head including, stitch-forming mechanism, a driving motor, a motorcontroller and a frame carrying said mechanism, motor and controller, of a drop-head cabinet for removably receiving said sewing-head as a unit, said cabinet support including a spring-preed lifting plate, a knee-shift incorporated in said cabinet and connections for operating said controller, said connections including a tappet-arm pivotally mounted within the cabinet and a push-rod slidably carried by the lifting plate and disposed in the path of movement of the tappet-arm when the lifting plate is in elevated position.

6. An electrically driven sewing machine adapted for reception by the usual apertured cabinet or supporting base and comprising a frame including a bed and. bracket-arm, a cloth-plate adapted to fit substantially Hush with the top of the cabinet or portable base, a motor-controller including a shiftable controller arm, and manually controlled means for operating said controller arm, said means including a horizontal slide rod journaled in and longitudinally of the bed of the sewing machine frame below the cloth-plate and connected to said arm.

7 The combination with an apertured support, of a sewing-head including a clothplate let into said support, a driving motor for the sewing-head, a motor-controller, and controller operating means including a slide-rod mounted in the frame of the sewing-head, and a manually operated tappetarm mounted in the support for the sewing head and adapted to register with the sliderod when the sewing-head is in operative position on its support.

8. T he combination with a hollow sewing machine frame including a hollow troughshaped bed and a cloth-plate, of a plurality of electrical circuits concealed in said hollow frame, said frame being formed below the level of the cloth-plate with one or more apertures through which said circuits emerge, and a combined distributing block and plug connector mounted externally on said frame below the cloth plate and to which said circuits are connected.

9. In a sewin machine having stitchforming mechanism and a hollow frame casting for supporting said stitch-forming mechanism, a sewing machine motor-controller built into said hollow frame casting, and operating means including a push-rod slidably mounted in and passing through a wall of said hollow frame.

10. A sewing machine comprising a frame having a hollow trough-shaped bed and an overhanging arm, stitch-forming mechanism incorporated in said frame, a sewing machine motor-controller mounted in said hollow bed, and a push-rod slidably mounted in and passing through a wall of said bed and connected to operate said controller.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MARTIN HEMLEB. 

